Local enforcement officials are solidly behind the proposed primary seat belt law, House Bill 90, currently being considered by the Missouri General Assembly.

Marshall Police Chief Jim Simmerman and Saline County Sheriff Wally George both said they support the measure, which would enable law enforcement officers to stop motorists specifically for not wearing safety belts.

Current state law requires that motorists wear safety belts, but enforcement is secondary, meaning motorists cannot be pulled over just because police believe they are violating the law.

"It never made any sense to me that is was secondary," Simmerman said. "If it's important it should be a primary law like anything else."

Simmerman and George both have personal experience losing a friend or family member to traffic accidents.

The most recent was the death of Travis Wright, a dispatcher for the Sheriff's Department when he was thrown from his vehicle Jan. 31.

"That incident made me a believer," George said. "I jumped on this (bill) and support it 100 percent."

Law enforcement professional organizations back the bill, too.

George said the Missouri Sheriffs Association supports the legislation, a position arrived at by consensus of the state's 114 sheriffs.

The Missouri State Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police issued a news release this week announcing its support for the bill.

"With this legislation, Missouri ... could potentially save more lives than any other single piece of traffic safety legislation," said Mark Edwards, president of the Central Missouri Fraternal Order of Police.

"We are especially hopeful that this law will make the 42 percent of Missouri teenagers who do not wear safety belts realize it's just not worth it to be ticketed for something so simple yet so significant," Edwards said.

Law enforcement officers are not looking for an excuse to interfere in people's lives, according to Edwards.

"We support HB 90 because we want you to live."

Contact Eric Crump at

marshalleditor@socket.net